Should Be Together
by kathleensmiles
Summary: She shrugged. "I don't mind, it was actually sort of sweet, in a violent kind of way I guess, you jumping up to defend my honor." AU no ZA Daryl and Carol work together in a bar and Daryl feels uncomfortable when a customer begins hitting on her. Caryl oneshot. Rated T for language and drug use/referances to drug use for tumblr prompt for IForgotAlready. Please review


**Author' Note:  
**

**So this is a oneshot for IForgotAlreadys prompt of Axel hitting on Carol and Daryl getting pissed, she gave be free range so I did this AU version.  
Hopefully this works out...Thanks also to Xony, Marionarnold, Kateg17 and HelloLittleMonsterz for helping me out when I hit a brick wall with this.  
You guys are awesome :)  
So anyways enjoy and please review!**

_And I always say,  
we should be together.  
Breath Of Life- Florence And The Machine  
_

It was a slow afternoon at the bar, most of the local drunks choosing to get wasted elsewhere for the day. Daryl wiped glasses, glancing up briefly when Merle and a few of his group walked in, taking an empty booth in the corner- dealing no doubt. Daryl paid them no mind.  
He'd already cleared it with Robbie, his boss. Robbie didn't give a shit what they did- as long as they bought a couple drinks while they did it.  
Carol, who'd been finishing up a smoke, quickly tied her apron back on and grabbed her notepad, smiling at him when she went to take their orders.  
He nodded to her.  
He liked Carol, she'd been a waitress at the place for just over a year now, always treated him nice, covered his ass when he had to go bail out Merle.  
She'd taken the job after her husband and daughter had died in a car crash, drunk driving accident- her husband had gotten wasted before picking the little girl up from school. If anyone had a right to be bitter as all hell she sure did, but she wasn't like that. She was always sweet to everybody, real patient.  
Even if, in his opinion, the assholes didn't deserve her patience and were just asking for a punch in the face.  
He gave the group another once-over, assuring himself that they wouldn't give her any trouble.  
He recognized two of the guys, Derek and Tripp, long time buddies of Merles. There were a couple of others he didn't recognize, some latino and another guy with the stupidest fucking mustache he'd ever laid eyes on. Customers, he assumed, junkies.  
Not even Merle would keep company with those idiots unless he was getting some cash out of it- and a little something to wet his nose with of course.

Carol spoke softly, smiling politely in greeting as she reached their booth before turning to the strangers. "Hello, I'm Carol and I'll be your waitress for this afternoon."

A wide, near-leering grin came across Mustache Mans face and Daryl gritted his teeth. "Hello there Carol. I'm Axel and this here," he gestured to his companion, who was twitching every few seconds, "is Tomas."

"Nice to meet you," she replied cordially, taking out her pen. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Tequila and a shot glass, leave the bottle," Tomas answered.

"Beers fer us," Merle drawled, gesturing between himself and his followers.

"And you?" Carol asked Axel as she scribbled down the orders, eyes on her notepad.

Daryl grimaced from where he stood, drying glasses while trying to glare a hole through mustache-man's head. Mustache-man didn't seem to notice.

Axel leaned forward, practically ogling Carol as he spoke in a low voice. "Well I ain't never been 'round here before sweet-heart. I was hopin' you'd have a couple 'a suggestions."

"The drinks here are the same as anywhere else," Carol replied with a dry smirk, clearly losing her patience. "I'm sure you're old enough to order your own."

Axel refused to get the hint. "Aw, c'mon darlin'," he wheedled," yer a nice girl, help a fellow out."

"Watch it dumbass," Merle growled threateningly, glancing over to where his brother stood at the bar, looking about ready to have a fucking coronary.

"If you can't even order your own drink you're beyond my help," Carol snipped, "now order yourself a drink or go thirsty."

"Al'ight darlin', al'ight, didn't mean no offense, I'll have a bottle of bourbon."

"Alright, be back with those in a minute or so, let me know if you need anything else," she finished, walking hastily back towards the bar.

"I can certainly think of a few things she could help me out with, ain't that right Tomas?" Axel joked crassly, elbowing his companion.

Tomas shrugged, "She's alright, seen better though."

"Ya'll are gon' leave her alone," Merle snarled, "Neither of ya 're layin' a' fuckin' hand on 'er. Carol's got e'nuff shit t' deal with without you assholes breathin' down 'er neck."

"C'mon Merle-"

"I ain't kiddin' 'bout this. Neither of ya go near 'er."

"Or what," Tomas asked with a mocking hiss.

"Or ya'll 'll end up spendin' the rest of yer shitty lives in a goddamn hospital bed and tha's a promise," Merle snapped impatiently.  
"Now we didn't come here fer no social gatherin', let's get down t' business al'eady."

The junkies eyes brightened at the mention of the meth they'd come for and they all began talking prices, amount, possible resale value and quality.

Daryl shook his head as he poured the latinos tequila. The way they all kept track of the numbers, constantly dividing and multiplying as they spoke, he could only imagine what Merle and the others could of been if they'd actually put forth some fucking effort in life.  
But they hadn't, they were what that were and that wasn't changing anytime soon, so he refocused on Carol.

"Yer sure yer a'right?"

She smiled,"Of course Daryl, he's just a harmless barfly, I've dealt with worse. Besides," she teased," I'm not made of glass, I won't break if you stop hovering over my shoulder for a minute."

He glanced at his boots. "Sorry."

"Don't be, I'm only teasing. Honestly I think it's sweet, I appreciate you looking out for me, but," she added insistently," I'm fine."

"A'ight, but if ya aren't-"

"I give you permission to beat them senseless," she joked, balancing the drinks onto the tray with a parting grin as she walked back towards the table.

Axels eyes were wide as saucers when she got there, obviously high as a kite, his smile was ever so slightly off kilter, his gaze fixed on her.  
She looked away, his expression making her uneasy as she set the drinks down. He spoke suddenly as she silently passed Merle and Derek their beers.

"It' 'a quality check ya know, can't get int'a business without knowin' the qual'ty a' what yer sellin'. Ain't good sense."

Merle sent Axel a warning glare that went unnoticed as Carol tensed up. Daryl slowly stepped out from behind the bar, he'd seen Merle do some awful, insane shit when he was stoned and he knew enough about meth to know that was the norm rather than the exception.  
Mustache-man hadn't gotten out it pretty damn fast too, so it must of been a pretty strong batch. Axel twitched, leering at Carol expectantly.

"No I suppose not," Carol whispered uncomfortably in reply, placing the tequila on the table, moving quickly, eager to get back to cleaning glasses- so long as she was away from there.

"It ain't. But I got good sense, always check quality I do, keeps everythin' runnin' smoothly. I make some al'ight cash of 'a it too, let's me afford a real nice apartment. Real, real nice," he turned to her, eyes roving up and down like an insect, slimy and unwanted. "Ya oughta see it sumtime."

Daryl snarled, walking towards them purposefully, hands curled into fists as Merle began to stand up, Derek and Tripp crossing their arms menacingly.

Carol glowered at him, snapping defensively as she slammed his bourbon onto the table. "There's no chance in hell of that!"

She gasped as his hand abruptly tightened around her wrist, holding it against the table as she struggled to free it.

"Now, now, play nice darlin'-"

His words were instantly shut up by a swift right hook to the face from Daryl, forcing him to release Carol as he was dragged out of the booth and thrown against the filthy tile floor, Daryl continuing to pound his face into the ground. Tomas rose from his seat, grabbing the bottle of tequila and heading for Daryls back. Reacting on instinct, Carol grabbed the bottle of bourbon she'd been holding and brought it down forcefully across Tomas, catching him unawares.  
The bottle smashed, bourbon and broken glass spilling over the latinos head as he fell, Merle and his people grabbing him by the shirt and proceeding to drag him over the table, bottles shattering in his path as he was thrown unceremoniously out the door, the sounds of Merle laying into him outside loud and clear.  
Dropping the neck of the bottle she'd been holding, surprised at herself, Carol stepped back. There was an audible crack and a wail as Axels nose broke.

Punching him again- for good measure- Daryl lifted him by the shoulders eyes shooting daggers. "I see ya in here again, or anywheres 'round Carol and yer fuckin' dead, ya understand?"

Axel blubbered. "Look man, I didn't mean nuthin' by it, didn't know she was yers is all, honest, it's jus' a misunderstanding is all-"

Daryl threw another right hook, effectively ending the creeps whining. "Tha' ain't the point, point is yer a piece a' shit an' ya best not be within a' hundred goddamn miles a' this place 'er her ever again. Else ya ain't gon' be walkin' away nex' time. Now, have we got ourselves an understandin'?"

Axel nodded weakly.

"I can't hear ya," Daryl growled.

"We got an understandin'! I won't be nowheres 'round here 'er 'round her again, honest!"

"Good, now go on and get th' hell out," Daryl hissed, stepping to the side.

Not needing to be asked twice, mustache-man ran out as if the devil himself was on his tail.  
Satisfied that that particular problem had been dealt with, Daryl got up, wiping his now bloody knuckles against the front of his jeans, turning to Carol.

"Ya al'ight?"

She nodded.

"Sorry ya had t' see tha'."

She shrugged. "I don't mind, it was actually sort of sweet, in a violent kind of way I guess, you jumping up to defend my honor." She smiled, her expression a mix of dry humor and coyness. "A girl could get used to having a knight in shining flannel."

He chuckled, looking away, face almost bashful. "Stop it."

She laughed softly. "But really," she grinned, approaching him so that they stood chest-to-chest. "Thank you."

He began to mutter a simple "don't mention it" when her mouth suddenly came over his, lips pressing against his sweetly, gingerly as he stood there, too stunned to react. Her mouth carefully explored his for a minute before she pulled away, a gleam in her eye.

"I'm off at six and I wouldn't mind someone taking me to dinner," she whispered seductively before walking away to clean up the booth, leaving him awestruck and breathless.

He couldn't quite wrap his mind around what had just happened, but he knew one thing- he would definitely be taking her up on dinner.


End file.
